Does an Eastern forehand grip provide more precision compared to a semi-Western grip?

Question

I've been experimenting between Eastern and semi-Western grips for my forehand. When I was hitting, I felt like the Eastern grip forehand provided much more precision (almost an unbelievable amount) compared to my semi-Western forehand. I would like to know if this is expected, or am I just hitting the semi-Western shot badly?

Intuition suggests that the firm wrist for Eastern coupled with the lack of too many moving parts in the stroke would afford greater control. Is this correct? I'm 5'7", and I felt like, in using the Eastern forehand, there is a small reduction in "loopiness" of the ball that trades off for a huge amount of accuracy.

Answer 1

Well, it depends on the player's level.

Your argument that there are less moving parts in the stroke using an Eastern grip is plausible, but a beginner will struggle with controlling the ball, whereas a pro player won't have these problems, no matter which grip he is using.

It just depends on your experience. The longer you play, the more precisely you will be able to place the ball.